GCA appointed as Advisory Member to CORDAP’s Initiative Governing Committee
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otterdam, the Netherlands, 26 August 2025 — The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) has been appointed as an advisory member to the Initiative Governing Committee (IGC) of the Global Coral Reef R&D Accelerator Platform (CORDAP), following a motion nominated by the United Kingdom’s IGC representatives and unanimously passed at CORDAP’s 11th IGC meeting on 14 July 2025.
GCA’s appointment strengthens the bridge between cutting-edge coral science and the finance and infrastructure systems needed to deploy solutions at scale—particularly for climate-vulnerable coastal economies and small island states. As an advisory member, GCA will help convert proven research into investment-ready projects by supporting governments and partners to build credible pipelines, structure blended finance to crowd in private capital and embed decision-useful performance metrics that make nature-based solutions (NbS) bankable. This collaboration will also advance emerging hybrid reef approaches that combine engineered structures with living corals to protect shorelines, sustain fisheries and enhance food security.
“Coral reefs are frontline infrastructure for climate adaptation—protecting coasts, sustaining fisheries and tourism, and anchoring local livelihoods,” said Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, President and CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation. “As an advisory member of CORDAP’s IGC, GCA will help move proven science into bankable projects—connecting finance, engineering and ecology so countries can protect people and nature while building resilient, inclusive growth.”
GCA’s nomination followed remarks to the IGC by Adele Cadario, GCA’s Global Lead on Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions, who emphasized the opportunity to integrate reef-based NbS into financial systems and investment projects in partnership with multilateral development banks and other financiers. “This collaboration is about scale and speed,” Cadario said. “Working with CORDAP’s global network, we will help embed nature-based options—like hybrid reefs—into the design of coastal protection and blue-economy investments, unlock blended finance where it can de-risk innovation and build investable pipelines that countries can deliver quickly and transparently.”
The appointment builds on recent exchanges between CORDAP and GCA, including meetings and a workshop held in Rotterdam in March focused on the role of coral reefs in climate adaptation for coastal protection and food security. The IGC also agreed to advance work on hybrid reefs, reflecting growing international interest in scalable, financeable adaptation solutions.
